Join us for a guided movement ritual/meditation/divination/writing/storytelling practice for collective liberation and well being.
Join Deep Waters Dance Theater, Artist As First Responder, and the Black Women In Mourning & Joy Collective for “How We Get Over [AndThrough]: Movement For This Moment” - A guided movement ritual/meditation/divination/writing/storytelling practice for collective liberation and well being stewarded by amara tabor-smith.
We will move our bodies; there will be moments of restful pause; we will share experiences and strategies for survival and thrivance; our ancestors might visit.
In this 2 ½ hour process there might be laughter, tears, joy, rage, grief, emotional or spiritual discomfort or ease; we most certainly will breathe together. It might feel long, it might feel too short, we will run out of time, it will only be a beginning.
Bring a journal, a pillow, blanket or mat, water, any small objects that are comforting or grounding for you.
This process is specifically for BIPOC women and femmes.
Note #1: there will be scented cleansing water present in the space. Please indicate when you sign up if you have any environmental sensitivities or any needs that we should know about. We may not be able to meet all needs but we will do our best and let you know.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Doors open at 5:30pm
Workshop runs from 6:00 - 8:15pm (workshop starts promptly at 6p).
Meal from 8:20 - 9:00pm
at Bandaloop (1601 18th Street, Oakland CA, 94612)
Sliding Scale/Suggested Donation - $7 / $14 / $21
RSVP Required. Limited Space (20 slots available)
For Black, Indigenous and Women & Femmes of Color
ADA Accessible
Community Partners: Deep Waters Dance Theater, Artist As First Responder, Black Women in Mourning & Joy Collective, Ashara Ekundayo Gallery and Oakland ReCAST
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ABOUT:
The Black Women in Mourning & Joy Collective is an itinerant, invite-only, arts and social practice experiment conducted by independent curator, public archivist, and artist Ashara Ekundayo in Oakland, CA. Through guided storytelling, journaling, and creative workshops, women & femmes gather to collectively witness and transmute trauma, grief and rage into art work. Our practice accesses and honors color, sound, movement, and writing in ritual conversation with the elements of earth, air, water, fire, and ether.
amara tabor-smith (she/they) is an Oakland, California (unceded Huichin Ohlone territory) based choreographer, performance maker, cultural worker, and the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater. Her interdisciplinary site responsive and community specific performance making practice utilizes Yorubá spiritual technologies to address issues of social and environmental justice, race, homefullness and belonging. Her work is rooted in black, queer feminist principles that insist on liberation, joy and well-being. amara co- creates performance experiences in collaboration with the communities where she lives and wherever she is invited. This is done with the intention of cultivating mutual understanding, deepening interpersonal relationships, and inspiring collective liberation. Her creative process includes holding intergenerational dialogues, story circles, grief and rest rituals, and movement-based healing practices. amara is currently a teaching artist in residence at Stanford University.